Currently Cairns is an important tourism destination in Australia as well as the sugar industry which can be found in many sugar plantations around the town. Cairns became the base for visiting nearby attractions such as the exact Great Barrier Reef, Kuranda, Tjapukai, and the Daintree Rain Forest.

Great Barrier Reef, Kuranda

In the center there is also a merupaka Laguna artificial lake which is a popular tourist spot. According to a story we can sunbathe topless in the lagoon with this. But what is striking is the shops that sell the equipment of sea sports, like diving or snorkeling surfing and the many young tourists both local and foreign countries like Japan, Korea and so on.

City Cairn

Cairns Night Market.
When Australia's major cities like Sydney, Brisbane began to close the shopping center at about 18 or 19. Cairns is a very different atmosphere, shops and restaurants with a very relaxed atmosphere remain open until the evening. One place that should diikunjungi Cairns Night Market is also located on Abbott Street in this place lies a collection of restaurant or food court that sells a wide assortment of good culinary Asia such as China, Thailand, and Western cuisine, even the typical Australian as worried about the kangaroo meat , koalas, crocodiles and so on. Of course for those who dare to try the food. Besides souvenir shops are also easily found at the Night Market is.

One Bus Tour to Port Douglas

Port Douglas and Mosman Rainforest.
One of the places we can visit with a day trip from Cairns is Port Douglas and Mosman Rain Forest. For those who like driving yourself, hire mobl and having a good tour map is an excellent choice. However, joining the local tour became a better choice because we just call and ask for pick up at the hotel we stayed in downtown Cairns. There are several choice of departure time, either 9 am or 11 am. After that a mini bus which attract special luggage trailer with the words www.portdouglas.com will pick us up almost on time. Understandably in Cairns almost no traffic jams.

Once again pick up some tourists in hotels other, our mini bus will leave immediately leave the city of Cairns to Port Douglas via the Captain Cook Highway No. 44. Not long after the dead center of the city starting to look a large sugar plantation. But some have started to be converted into housing for the anticipated rapid growth in Cairns. Not long after the Cairns Airport, in the suburb called Smithfields, James Cook University is located. Apparently James Cook leaves a huge footprint in the state of Queenslands that immortalized his name to the name of the City of Cook's Town, highways, Captain Cook Highway and also the University. After up to 30 miles from downtown, we will also pass through the Cairns Tropical Zoo is also an interesting tourist spot. After that Captain Cook Highway started a little narrower and will fit down the cliff at the waterfront degan very charming scenery. About 20 miles further we will pass on the winding road between the beach and cliffs with few places to stop to enjoy the scenery.

Approximately 45 minutes after leaving Cairns on the left side of the street nameplate looks striking Hartley's Creek Crocodile Farm,. The tour guide told me that this place is a breeding crocodiles which produce crocodile skin and meat for both domestic and export purposes and began operating in 1930. Besides crocodiles, here also can be seen Koala, Kangaroo, Bird Cassowary, Dingo, and assorted snakes and reptiles native to Australia. Hartley's Crocodile Farm has a famous star named Charlie who was aged around 70 or 80 years, and he is a crocodile.
There are a few interesting about the crocodile. Just after passing Hartley's Crocodile Farm, about 10 minutes before the Port Douglas, Mowbray river there. The driver was always told that the river is wild crocodiles often encountered and he recommends passengers to look to the left, which eventually can be viewed from a distance back of crocodiles in the rivers. What is interesting is the same story is also mentioned by a bus driver who took us to Port Douglas for the second time and crocodiles are seen there is also positioned in the same river. Is it an alligator or crocodile rock for real?

Swim with Nemo on the Great Barrier Reef.
Of course the main attractions around Cairns is the Great Barrier Reef. The name is so famous and known also as the Great Barrier Reef. Surely he is not a single place, but consists of rubuan coral island or atoll that extends to the east of Australia. According to the literature of the Great Barrier Reef consists of more than 2900 reefs and more than 900 islands stretching over 2600 kilometers located in the Coral Sea. Barrier Reef is also one of the seven wonders of the natural world. (seven natural wonder of the world). This place is not an exaggeration to be included in the list of World Heritage for its underwater beauty with unique fish and coral that looks very attractive.
One way leading to the Great Barrier Reef, is to sail directly from Cairns or closer than Port Douglas. Because of that bus trip back to Port Douglas via the Captain Cook Highway can be enjoyed by more clearly.
Sailing the Great Barrier Reef begins from the Marina Port Douglas where many moored boats, yachts and other vessels for either private or public, Catamaran that can carry about 500 people set sail towards the outer reef. Travel by speedboat takes about a half an hour.

And at around 11:30 the ship arrived at a kind of dock in the middle of the ocean. On the way passengers are offered a variety of additional activities such as snorkeling, scuba diving, walk in the ocean, even fly helicopters. Of course with an additional fee. However, lunch and sail with the boat is kind of half-submarine with a glass wall to enjoy the underwater beauty of the Great Barrier Reef for 25 minutes was included in the tour package. In the dock was also contained underwater observatory where visitors can enjoy the beauty beneath the sea, including some who were swimming and diving. The air was hot sunny so many interested visitors to swim or snorkel.

Snorkeling equipmentTip for telecommunications
Travel in Australia It is currently quite expensive for the size of our pockets, especially with the Australian dollar exchange rate which is currently primarily to the U.S. dollar nearly equal. Meanwhile, for the purpose of communication is useful to have a local simcard. Because it will make it easier to register a tour contacted by telephone usually ask no mobile phones. If we use Indonesia certainly no roaming charges will swell. I myself had bought a local prepaid card costs 31 dollars and get a bonus to speak more than 150 dollars so it can be satisfied bertelpon and sms. What is unique to activate the prepaid card before we have to register and talk to a computer that could recognize our voices.